Nicks missed Wednesday's practice. It's entirely possible he'll return on Thursday and start against the Cowboys, but obviously no sure thing considering his history of durability woes. Nicks has stayed healthy for the most part this season and has still been a major disappointment in his contract year.

It's Oakland's Thanksgiving matchup with Dallas. Veldheer was one of the NFL's up-and-coming young pass protectors before tearing his triceps partially in August. His return would be a boon to Matt McGloin and/or Terrelle Pryor.

He's managed three catches for 53 yards combined during the four-game stretch. Coach Jim Schwartz chalked up Fauria's lack of productivity to "not catching anybody by surprise anymore." Defenses have begun defending Fauria physically at the line of scrimmage, disrupting his routes. Schwartz still considers Fauria a "pivotal" part of the Lions' offense, even as a part-time player.

"No, it wasn't really a setback," Ryan said. "It's just that today we thought it was best that he miss practice and heal up a little bit. But it wasn't something that he had a major injury, let's say. So I expect him to practice tomorrow." Holmes remains on track to start in Week 12 against Baltimore.

"[WRs coach Sanjay Lal was] just straight up with me," said Hill. "That some things are going to be cut down. But I'm still going to get enough reps." Highly inconsistent, Hill has gone catch-less in two straight games. He was targeted seven times in Week 11 and didn't secure any of them. The Jets' receiver rotation currently involves Nelson, Hill, Santonio Holmes, and slot man Greg Salas. They also use a rotation at tight end.

Not what Rashad Jennings' fantasy owners want to hear. Allen said DMC had a "productive workout" with trainers Wednesday, despite missing practice. He's uncertain to play in Week 12 against Tennessee, and we'd bet against McFadden dressing. When McFadden does return, he's expected to be in a timeshare with Jennings. Jennings has likely earned the permanent starting job.

Allen described the shoulder as "really sore" after Moore missed practice. His status for Week 12 against Tennessee is uncertain. The injury sounds like something Moore may have to have surgically repaired during the offseason.

Barrows openly admits it's just a guess, but he projects Crabtree to play "a dozen or so snaps" on December 1 against St. Louis. Fantasy leaguers shouldn't be expecting Crabtree to be an asset during the fantasy playoffs, and he appears unlikely to play on Monday night against the Redskins. Crabtree is just barely worth stashing for receiver-needy owners down the stretch.

Manning has been taking Wednesdays off for the past couple weeks. He participated in Wednesday's walkthrough and is in zero danger of missing Sunday night's showdown with Tom Brady. Manning is locked in as a top-three quarterback.

Floyd suffered no setbacks in his dominant Week 11 performance against the Jaguars and will be ready to roll as a boom-or-bust WR3 against the Colts Sunday.

Texans claim CB Justin Rogers off waivers

11-20-2013

Justin Rogers CB WAS

Texans claimed CB Justin Rogers off waivers from the Bills.

Rogers, 26 in January, was cut by the Bills on Tuesday. He started the first five games of the season for the Bills due to injuries and was getting torched. Rogers will be depth in Houston. ILB D.J. Smith was waived to make room.

Sanders exited last Sunday's win over the Lions early and never returned. Both he and coach Mike Tomlin have recently classified the injury as not serious. Sanders should be fine for Week 12 against the Browns as a borderline WR3.

Coming off an impressive outing that saw McGloin throw three touchdowns and zero interceptions, the undrafted rookie out of Penn State will make a second consecutive start. Terrelle Pryor (knee) returned to practice Tuesday but worked with the second-team offense. McGloin has a tough test against the Titans, but at least he gets them at home. He's only an option in two-quarterback leagues.

Shorts played the entire game in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals and didn't suffer any setbacks, so the Jaguars are likely just resting him for precautionary reasons. He's in no danger of missing Week 12 against the Texans.

Brown is dealing with an AC sprain and considered questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans. He'll likely need to return to practice by Friday to have a chance at playing this week. If Brown can't go, Kerry Taylor will replace him in two-wide sets, with Ace Sanders working in the slot.

This was the expected outcome. Hankerson likely has a torn LCL. He went down in the first quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Eagles. HankTime had his best game of the season in Week 1, catching five passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns in garbage time. He caught a total of 30 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in his third season. Hankerson has a ton of ability but has battled drops and long bouts of inconsistency as a pro. He has one more year left on his rookie deal.

Reed is currently in the NFL's concussion protocol and hasn't been cleared to practice. His Week 12 status remains up in the air. With No. 2 wideout Leonard Hankerson (knee) also sidelined, it's a concern for Washington's offense. The Redskins play the 49ers on Monday Night Football, so Reed will have an extra day to get through tests.

Gonzalez didn't practice Monday or Tuesday but went through the team's walkthrough Wednesday, putting him on track to suit up Thursday night. Owners can safely plug Gonzalez into lineups. He'll then have ten days off before the Falcons take on the Bills in Week 13. Gonzalez is a mid-range TE1.

Peterson said following Sunday's loss that his groin injury was "bothering" him, but there's been no indication that he's in any danger of missing Week 12. He'll be a top-five option against the Packers even at less than full health.

Moore underwent an MRI on Monday, so the fact that he wasn't able to practice isn't a great sign for his Week 12 status. Even if he manages to play, Moore won't be a recommended fantasy option in a matchup against a Titans defense that allowing an average of just 213 passing yards per game. His status will be updated again no later than Thursday.

Nicks wasn't part of the pre-practice injury report but was added to it after he was off to the side riding the stationary bike with the rest of the Giants' injured players. Nicks has battled various ailments this season but has yet to miss a game. His status for Week 12 appears to be up in the air. We'll update Nicks again on Thursday, at the latest. Keep an eye on him.

Burris underwent some sort of knee operation in January, though the Raiders never provided details of the procedure. He can play all three linebacker spots and will provide depth behind starters Sio Moore, Nick Roach, and Kevin Burnett.

Hayden had been inactive the last two weeks and wasn't close to returning, so the Raiders made the decision to shut him down for the season. He finishes his rookie campaign with 26 tackles, one interception, and two pass deflections over eight games, grading out as the No. 93 corner by Pro Football Focus among 107 qualifiers. Miles Burris has been activated from the PUP list to take his spot on the 53-man roster. Hayden will return to a starting role in 2014.

ESPN New York speculates Holmes was just getting a rest day after he returned to action this past Sunday, though a setback hasn't been ruled out. Holmes looked good in his return, making two catches for 71 yards against the Bills. He'll be a boom-or-bust WR3 when Gang Green takes on the Ravens in Week 12.

Neither is Julius Thomas (knee). Sources informed ESPN's Chris Mortensen on Tuesday that Welker is "expected to be OK" for Week 12 against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football, but owners need to keep a close eye on him throughout the week. Backup plans need to be in place. Welker's status will be updated again no later than Thursday. Welker is fantasy's No. 10 overall receiver.

Austin is back at or near 100 percent after initially pulling his hamstring in Week 3. He's expected to resume No. 2 receiver duties opposite Dez Bryant, pushing rookie Terrance Williams back into the No. 3 role. All three will play plenty. Austin and Williams will cancel each other out a bit, leaving them as WR3 options. The Cowboys have a very favorable schedule down the stretch.

It's his first time on the field since straining his hamstring against the Lions on October 27. Before getting hurt, he had lost his starting job to Orlando Scandrick. Expect it to remain that way, as Claiborne has struggled as a sophomore.

Barring an unexpected setback, Burleson is going to be active and start Sunday's game against the Bucs. It's a great spot as Tampa has been getting absolutely torched by slot receivers. Rishard Matthews and Harry Douglas have combined to catch 17 passes for 254 yards with three touchdowns against the Bucs in the last two weeks.

The Colts tried to cover up their benching of Heyward-Bey in last Thursday's nationally televised game by saying he had a sore ankle. The real issue is his brutally ineffective play. Look for LaVon Brazill to be in more two-wide sets opposite T.Y. Hilton Sunday.

Kerley was working off to the side, apparently to ensure his dislocated elbow doesn't take any hits. Given that, it's hard to see him playing in a game anytime soon. David Nelson and Santonio Holmes project as the Jets' top-two wideouts this week.

Bell felt something in his foot "kind of pop" while filling in for a benched Reggie Bush on Sunday. If he can't go Sunday, Theo Riddick will be the No. 2 back and Mikel Leshoure will likely be active. Consider Bell questionable as we await more details.

It's a surefire sign that Gonzalez is on track to play in Thursday night's game against the Saints. He played through the injury into garbage time against the Bucs in Week 11, finishing with seven catches for 63 yards and a two-point conversion. We'll have his official status around 7pm ET Thursday, but owners can safely pencil Gonzalez into lineups.

Pierre-Paul played through his sore shoulder last week and looked good in the process, compiling one tackle for a loss to go with an eye-opening interception that he returned for a touchdown. He netted NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. JPP should be fine for Sunday's showdown with the Cowboys.

Cooper replaces Armanti Edwards, who was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury Wednesday. Brandon Weeden's old friend from Oklahoma State won't get any preferential treatment from Jason Campbell if he's even active Sunday.

Jermaine Cunningham signs with Jets

11-20-2013

Jermaine Cunningham LB NYJ

Jets signed OLB Jermaine Cunningham.

A second-round pick of the Patriots in 2010, Cunningham was waived by the 49ers at the end of October. If active for the Jets, he'll be depth as a sub-package pass-rusher.

According to the NFL Network, Dennard had a small meniscus procedure over the weekend. It's a concern for the Patriots as they head into a matchup with Peyton Manning and the Broncos this week. Their other starting corner, Aqib Talib, appeared to aggravate his hip injury in the loss at Carolina Monday night.

Skelton was signed as mere insurance just in case one of Ryan Fitzpatrick or Smith go down. It's perhaps the least talented quarterback room in the entire NFL right now.

Bills sign JJ Unga off Ravens' practice squad

11-20-2013

J.J. 'Unga T BUF

Bills signed OT J.J. Unga off the Ravens' practice squad.

The Bills now have nine offensive linemen on the roster. Unga went undrafted out of tiny Division II Midwestern State and then spent the entire offseason program with the Ravens. His cousin is former Eagle Reno Mahe.

The 5'7/173 Sanders has performed reasonably well when in his natural slot position, but the injuries to Mike Brown/Stephen Burton and the suspension to Justin Blackmon have left the Jags desperate. A slower version of Dexter McCluster, owners shouldn't be chasing Sanders' 8/61/0 line from Week 11. We've seen the ceiling.

Wright has fallen off the map of late with a total of two catches for 32 yards on three targets over the last two weeks. But he's remained the primary pass-catching tight end, playing on a healthy 53.0 percent of the snaps. The biggest reason for his disappointing numbers is the Bucs' two-game winning streak. Wright does most of his damage in garbage time, something the TE2 could see plenty of in Week 12. The Lions have been installed as 9.5 point favorites over the Bucs.

A 5'8/180 scatback with track star speed, Rainey appeared in all 16 games for the Steelers last season -- primarily as a kick returner. But after a getting popped on a battery charge, he was immediately released. Rainey had a history of off-field issues going back to his days at Florida. Current Colts kick returner David Reed is averaging a pedestrian 23.8 yards per return, 12th-best in the league. Rainey could also take some pressure off No. 1 receiver T.Y. Hilton as a punt returner.

Burleson is awaiting medical clearance that appears to be a formality. He's expected to step right back in as the No. 2 wideout and slot receiver on a team that ranks second in pass attempts this season. "If I'm going to play on Sunday, I want to be in the game plan," Burleson said. "I don't want to be limited."

Unlike other positions, quarterbacks can't just go into a game cold turkey. If Rodgers is going to play at Detroit on Thanksgiving for Week 13, he said he'll have to get back in practice by that Tuesday. He's been running and tossing the ball without pain, but hasn't even tried to take a snap yet. At this point, owners should just be happy if they get their superstar back for Week 14. Week 13 would be icing on the cake.